Free Sentence of Marriage by Shayne Parkinson

four of them spent a pleasant evening together. Amy noticed that Susannah’s name was not mentioned.
     
    *
     
    But Susannah could not be ignored for long. Next morning she came out while Amy was cooking breakfast. ‘Oh, you’ve already started.’
    ‘I like to have it ready when they come in,’ Amy said apologetically. ‘And I didn’t know when you were getting up. They’re always hungry after milking.’
    ‘I don’t want to hear about how hungry they are. Out of my way, I’ll finish this. You can set the table.’
    The men looked at their plates apprehensively when they saw that Susannah had been involved with breakfast, but appeared relieved when they saw the pile of bacon and eggs. ‘Good meal, Susie,’ said Jack.
    ‘Susannah,’ she corrected him. ‘I’m glad you all like it.’ She smiled sweetly around the table.
     
     

5
     
     
    September – December 1881
    ‘I popped over to see Arthur this afternoon,’ Jack said at dinner on Saturday night. ‘I… ahh… mentioned you to him.’ He looked awkward, and Amy wondered how her uncle had reacted to the news of his older brother’s sudden marriage. ‘So they’ll all be looking forward to meeting you tomorrow,’ he said, looking brighter.
    ‘I’ll have to make sure I don’t disappoint them, won’t I?’ Susannah said with a superior smile. It was obvious she did not think impressing country folk would be difficult.
    Sunday morning got off to a bad start for Amy. After breakfast she put on her mourning dress and the bonnet she had trimmed and lined with black crepe, then sat in the kitchen with her brothers, waiting for Susannah to finish her toilette. Susannah came in on Jack’s arm looking as though she were dressed for a ball; or so Amy thought. The bodice of her dress was stiff silk brocade trimmed with velvet, and the skirts were of heavy bronze silk formed into broad pleats. Her hat was made of bronze velvet trimmed with bronze and dark red ostrich plumes.
    ‘That dress is beautiful!’ Amy gasped. She reached out to touch the brocade, then recollected herself and pulled her hand back.
    To her dismay, Susannah’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. ‘Why are you wearing black?’
    ‘Because I’m in mourning for my grandmother,’ said Amy.
    ‘Not any more you’re not. You can’t be in deep mourning when your father’s just got married—it looks as though you’re mourning that .’ She looked at Amy as if daring her to admit that very thing.
    Amy turned to her father for support. ‘But Pa, it’s only been six months since Granny died—I should wear this for another six months yet.’
    Jack looked troubled. ‘No, I think your ma’s right, Amy. You can’t go around in black when you’ve just got a new mother. You can wear an arm band instead, that would be all right.’
    ‘You’re not wearing your arm band any more,’ Amy said, noticing its absence for the first time.
    ‘Of course I’m not—not with a new bride. But you can wear yours for a bit longer if you want. Hurry up and get changed, girl, we haven’t got much time.’
    Amy went off to her bedroom, determined not to cry even though she felt betrayed. She hunted through her chest of drawers for the previous winter’s good dress, and finally found it, rather creased, at the bottom of a drawer. She shook it vigorously to get some of the creases out, then quickly put it on.
    To her dismay, she found that she had grown enough during the intervening months for the dusky pink woollen dress to become a little too short, as well as uncomfortably tight under the arms. But it was her only good winter dress, apart from the now-forbidden black one, so she had no choice but to wear it.
    Susannah frowned when Amy came back into the kitchen. ‘That’s rather shabby.’
    ‘It’s the only one I’ve got,’ Amy said, still fighting back tears.
    ‘Oh. Well, it can’t be helped, then. You’ll have to get another one, though.’
    ‘I’m not sure how we’re all going to fit,’